From Factory Floor to World Markets: Braeburn Mombasa International School at Pwani Oil
8th November 2025
Hard hats on, notebooks open. On 28th October 2025, our brilliant Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 learners, led by their amazing Business and Geography teachers, toured Pwani Oil’s refinery to track inputs from Malaysia, the chemistry of soap and edible oils, robotics on the conveyor belts, and how exports and local sales power Kenya’s coastal economy, despite a downpour that tested everyone’s resilience.
What We Learned (Fast and Fascinating)
- History and Scale: growth from local processing to a regional producer serving Kenya and export markets.
- Locational factors: port access, labour, markets, power/water, and room for expansion explain the site choice.
- Inputs → Processes → Outputs: imported crude oils (Malaysia link) and local additives through refining, fractionation, bleaching/deodorisation, saponification and packaging.
- Operations and Technology: conveyor belts, automated filling, barcoding, QA and steps toward robotics and AI for speed, safety, consistency.
- Safety and Hospitality: thorough briefing (PPE, line rules, evacuation points) and a well‑guided, accessible tour for our diverse group.
- Weather vs. Willpower: heavy rain did not stop the learning, routes adapted, notes protected, questions kept flowing.
Processing Flow We Followed
- Raw oils received (imports via port) and stored.
- Refining and fractionation to separate useful components.
- Bleaching and deodorising to meet food‑grade standards.
- Saponification for soap brands; blending for cooking oils.
- Automated bottling/wrapping on conveyor lines; QA checks.
- Distribution: domestic retail & exports (e.g., Oman).
Brands & Products We Noted
Popco, Fresh Fri, White Wash, Frymate, Mpishi Poa
